“Smear Boat” Veterans File Publicity Stunt Lawsuit

“Smear Boat” Veterans File Publicity Stunt Lawsuit
October 6th, 2005

They are at it again… those “Smear Boat” Veterans who are shills for the Republican Party. One would think that the Republican Party is in enough hot water right now (corruption, cronyism, scandals) and these fools would know better than to start dredging around for more publicity for their lost cause. But NO… Carlton Sherwood and his band of twisted cohorts who defamed John Kerry, are suing John Kerry and a former campaign staffer, claiming that they defamed him.

David Wade a Kerry spokesperson told AP News yesterday, “This is simply more of the same smears and sleaze against a decorated Vietnam veteran from more of the same serial liars who disgraced themselves in 2004. It’s too bad the truth doesn’t matter to the right wing when there’s a chance to fund-raise based on outright falsehood and slander.”

Carlton Sherwood claims that “the film was funded only by Vietnam veterans from Pennsylvania.” Sherwood, himself is resident of Harrisburg, PA. The group fronting for Carlton Sherwood in the filing of this lawsuit is the Vietnam Veterans Legacy Foundation, who weren’t even in existence during the 2004 campaign. Their website states they were launched on “05/05/2005.”

This lawsuit is nothing more than another pathetic attempt by the people who masterminded the Swift Boat attacks and their allies to get publicity and raise funds for their bizarre and divisive right wing cause, not to mention their defense in a lawsuit pending against Carlton Sherwood by someone depicted in the film. This is the classic MO of these Swifties — to make false and wild accusations in a desperate attempt to get media attention and raise money.

No doubt Nixon dirty trickster and Bush ally John O’Neill is wrapped up in this latest invention to keep himself and his twisted right wing cause in the news and smear any veteran who dares to speak truth to power. In fact, sources tell me that recently O’Neill sent out a fundraising email to gin up the right wing by once again exploiting the Vietnam tragedy and the politics of smear and fear, all in the name of cash.

But it won’t work. John O’Neil and the “Smear Boat” veterans were discredited by every major media outlet for their false and baseless attacks in 2004. The film Stolen Honor was also widely criticized in 2004 for its baseless accusations and a slanted viewpoint. Media outlets across the country refused to air it. In fact, the movie was SO FAR out of the mainstream, that even right wing Sinclair Broadcasting had to give up their plans to air it. Stolen Honor’s producer, Carlton Sherwood, is known to be a “highly partisan right wing activist”, a former Bush advisor, who is a “discredited” journalist.

As I mentioned, there is a lawsuit pending against the producers of Stolen Honor by someone depicted in the film, and in fact there are multiple lawsuits against Carlton Sherwood, et al. These lawsuits are still pending in court and this new lawsuit by this new Swift Boat front group clearly looks like an attempt to try to muddy the waters.

The Swift Boat attack team truly represents the very worst in American politics — the smear and fear tactics so prevalent from the right wing. But, we are on to their tricks and tactics and we will not tolerate them. The truth is America is sick of them too.

Americans have seen too many times, how the right wing tries to destroy anyone with the courage to stand up to them — whether it was John McCain in South Carolina in ‘00, Max Cleland in ‘02, John Kerry in ‘04, or even the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq in ‘05.

They will stoop to record lows to squash dissent and hold onto their power… Why? Because they hate John Kerry for his courage 35 years ago for standing up to Richard Nixon. And because, they fear John Kerry today because he still has the courage to hold Washington Republicans accountable. John Kerry has been on the the most hated list of every Republican president since Nixon. Think Iran Contra, think BCCI. He is their worst enemy.

So now we see, once again, that the right wing has gone right back to their disgraceful dirty tricks. The idea that these proven serial liars would sue John Kerry for libel is laughable… it is like an arsonist suing the guy who called 911 to get the firefighters before the building burned down. There was indeed lying, slander, and libel in 2004 and, it was done by these very same extreme right wing partisans.

John Kerry spoke the truth to power when he came home from Vietnam and he still continues to do so every day. Democrats need to stand with John Kerry and let him know “we’ve got your back.”

Democrats need to fight back. Because, this isn’t just about John Kerry. This is about every veteran who dares to dissent, this is about every man or woman in this country who has dared to speak the truth to power and been slimed by the partisan right wing hacks fronting for those who wrongly hold power in this country.

The culture of corruption is rampant in the Republican Party and this is just another sign of that corruption. It’s time to make a stand. We’ve recently seen attempts to “Swift Boat” Cindy Sheehan and Paul Hackett. We can not allow this to continue.

SEE LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=773

by every major media outlet for their false and baseless attacks in 2004."

:wtf:

Don't I wish.

see the links.

factor motivating them is that they are SICK TO DEATH of the GOP smear machine that operates against Dems who did serve.

They're saying, OK...try smearing ALL of us with your standard lies and see how hollow it will ring.

Because truly it's not just about JK. It's about everyone they have smeared.

country ever produced.

They would have done it to John Glenn, too, but there was too much film footage of his heroic service.

with out it getting noticed.

However, AP has decided otherwise, apparently.

defamation of character. I realize he wants to take the high road but they will never stop unless they are firmly trounced in a court of law. I love Kerry, but he really needs to bitchslap these people back under the rock they crawled out from.

The SwiftBoat freaks were guilty of libel and slander and I had a few solid Dem relatives from Pgh actually say, "Gee, maybe Kerry is hiding something, cause he has the money to sue. Why won't he fight back?"

I have a feeling he wanted to take the high road, but I honestly think that just like in "The Quiet Man", there comes a time when you have to take the gloves off and fight for your reputation...

It simply was not feasible. Now is a different story. Let's hope he will.

Those nasty cowards!

them media darings again? So the press does not have to cover the "culture of corruption?"

Believe me, by that time the public will have been convinced that Kerry was telling the truth and the Swifties will have been exposed as the traitorous liars that they are. Seems to me it was them who just served Kerry with the lawsuit trying to extend their fifteen minutes, he would just be responding to their ridiculous charges as he should have last year.

Now he can. I think we will see something.

Meanwhile, this is hysterical - Their latest press release

Vietnam Vets/Former POWs Respond to Slurs From Sen. Kerry's Staff
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051006/dcth046.html?.v=27

hand and still believe that Kerry lied about his service. The wingnuts are rigid.

Kerry in court.

The Smear Boat Veterans are about the lowest form of scum the entire political world. I hope that this stunt finally causes them to get the slapdown they deserve and causes them to permanently shut their pathetic, lying traps.

Can you tell I don't care much for the Smear Boat Veterans?

They need to be shut out.

What a busy day! We have:

The President delivering his usual eloquent discourse on the complexities of terrorism and its relationship to Iraq;

Louis Freeh trumpeting his book. I'm having a little trouble recalling the title right now. Oh yes, it's How I Nearly Caught a Crab From The Clenis;

A sudden terror threat on the NY subway;

And now the Freebooters have come sailing back into the news.

Why, it looks like the Good Ship Rove has made up steam and is headed out to sea at flank speed.

What's next, the return of Karen Hughes?

Tricky Dick Nixon that got the swift boat lier's started? Nixon saw Kerry during the Senate investigation of vietnam war crimes and said Kerry needed to be stopped as well as any other up and coming vietnam vet from getting to much power. PBS did an investigation on the swift boat lier's and had it on the PBS website.

JK was on the top of his most hated list.

keeping the list. Go JK.

They have been discredited and the media is done with them now because they aren't a story any longer. The repubs don't care because they have already served their purpose. I suppose they need money to continue their reprehensible work. I for one continue to hope they are ignored and the suite is thrown out of court.

The moonies have likely sent a copy of this book to every black minister they can find. As they admit, it helps silence their critics. Same thing happens when they tell people Bush Sr. works with Moon fronts. Bush has opened many doors for Moon.

The nation has no idea how deep Moon runs, no idea.

http://www.mediachannel.org/originals/moontranscript.shtml

Narrator: Is the New Birth Project continuing? In June,1991, Inquisition, a new, purportedly independent investigation of Moon's 1982 tax fraud prosecution, was released by a Washington publisher, Regnery-Gateway. Its author, Carlton Sherwood, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter who once worked for the Washington Times.

Narrator: Inquisition has a curious history. It was printed once before, by an obscure publishing house called Andromeda. The phone number listed for Andromeda in a leading publishing directory is the home phone of former Reagan National Security Council official Roger Fontaine — an ex-reporter at the Washington Times. When we called, Fontaine's wife Judy answered and said she knew nothing about Andromeda. Then she told us that the company was bankrupt and that Inquisition was published by Regnery-Gateway.

Narrator: Alfred Regnery is the head of Regnery-Gateway.

Regnery: "It is not unlike a lot of other books we have published. It is a story that deals with the First Amendment, which is something that is very dear to publishers, of course."

Narrator: Alfred Regnery was told by Carlton Sherwood that the Moon Organization would purchase one hundred thousand copies of Inquisition — at least according to former Washington Times editor James Whelan, another Regnery-Gateway author. But Alfred Regnery denies it.

Regnery: "I never said that to Jim, and I've never had any conversation with what's his name-Bo?"

Narrator: "Bo Hi Pak."

Regnery: "I'm not even sure who he is."

Narrator: One week after talking to Regnery, FRONTLINE obtained a copy of a letter addressed to Sun Myung Moon. The letter was written by James Gavin, a Moon aide. Gavin tells Moon he reviewed the "overall tone and factual contents" of Inquisition before publication and suggested revisions. Gavin adds that the author "Mr. Sherwood has assured me that all this will be done when the manuscript is sent to the publisher." Gavin concludes by telling Moon, "When all of our suggestions have been incorporated, the book will be complete and in my opinion will make a significant impact.... In addition to silencing our critics now, the book should be invaluable in persuading others of our legitimacy for many years to come."
_____



http://cellwhitman.blogspot.com/

A young and articulate John Kerry trounced a nervous skinny nerd called O'Neill and the Cavett audience adored Kerry. O'Neill left like a wet hen, angy and humiliated and has been jelous og kerry ever since those days.

It seems all the repugs use their sincere beliefs to handily connect them to good jobs and supreme court clerkships...cronyism is their middle name.


http://www.sourcewatch.org/wiki.phtml?title=John_E._O'Neill
O'Neill graduated with a law degree from the University of Texas in 1973 and was a member of Texas Law Review during 1972-1973. Between 1973 and 1974 he was a member of President's National Advisory Counsel on Supplemental Services and Centers, 1973-1974. He was admitted to the Texas bar in 1974, clerking for Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist in 1974 and 1975. <1> (http://www.copwf.com/atty_profiles/partners.htm#oneillej)